Re: Anybody using diet to help with PsA?

[Guest guest]

I was 50 years old too when i started getting the disease, no skin problems

just a very mild flaky scalp  and joint  pain. my first rheumy said it psa

and then when he left i had to find a new one and he said i don't have psa due

to the fact i don't have skin problems. i also had the right foot problem and

couldn't walk or stand, i had to quit my job, i was a deli worker. i was on

methotrexate and now i have been off due to liver problems, the pills did help

now i am feeling the joint pain. i was eating alot of yogurt and now i stopped a

few months ago and i think the yogurt was making me feel worse. that is about

the only diet change i have made, and drinking more water has helped alot too.

[Guest guest]

 

 

Mags,

 

If only it were that easy.  The idea of taking meds that are " toxic " isn't what

anyone wants to do.  Psoriatic arthritis can be aggressive and is degenerative.

 

Diet might help in a small way but it will do very little to reel in the pain

and the damage that is being done to your joints by the inflammation.  I took

mtx for 12 years when it first came out years ago.  It is one of the harhest

drugs I have used for my arthritis...the other awful one is prednisone.

 

I understand that nothing in life is perfect

but

I feel that the injectable biologics are the by far the best available treatment

out there.

 

If you have no insurance there are many programs uffered by the drug

companies.  You just have to be tenacious and never take " no " for an answer.

 

I don't eat red meat either...plenty of fish, legumes, chicken and veggies.  I

feel healthier but the aforementioned food choices did very little to manage the

disease and the pain.

 

Best of luck!!!

 

Kathy

[Guest guest]

I checked out a great book from the library which was written by a

rheumatologist. It is entitled: " You're Too Young to Feel this Old. " I don't

remember the name of the rheumy who wrote it, but it provides a very " doable "

approach to diet and arthritis. I would highly recommend it. He suggests

incorporating a lot of anti inflammatory herbs/spices into your diet, including

but not limited to: Garlic, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon.

Dena

[Guest guest]

Thanks Kathy...I didn't think about the whole joint damage thing!

[Guest guest]

Thanks!! I'll go look for that.

[Guest guest]

Hi Bob,

Believe it or not I don't have the HLA-b27 gene...did have elevated sed rate,

rheumatoid factor, and a grandmother with psoriasis. The rheumy used all of

this, along with my fat finger and hurting foot, to make the diagnosis.

" Margaret " <magsanton1@...>

[Guest guest]

They referred me to a nutritionist as soon as I was diagnosed. Teaches you what

helps flares and what doesn't. Like mustard causes swelling, but apples are

soothing. Its very strange.

Kassandra <kassandra_jones2002@...>

[Guest guest]

Margaret: from what I read when I was first diagnosed, there are not a lot of

people with PsA who have the genetic marker. By the same token, you can have RA

and not have a positive rheumatoid factor. That's why both diseases are usually

diagnosed on the basis of symptoms and sometimes it's hard for docs to be

definitive.

Joanna Hoelscher

[Guest guest]

greetings....this could be a factor, but not in all cases. there is a RA genetic

factor involved,along witha barometric pressure is involved. you can check it

out with the arthritis foundation or the psoriasis foundation. please find the

real thing like i did, and you will see the light....blessed be....bob

[Guest guest]

On diet: I have found I feel a little better when I eat a mostly vegan diet with

lots of fruit and vegetables. I also eat salmon and sardines which are both

good for omega 3's (anti-inflammatory compounds). I take a number of

supplements; the most important ones are fish oil (6g/day), turmeric and

ginger).

On medications: I understand your hesitation to take toxic medications, but

after being on methotrexate for 9 months I can tell you I've had no noticeable

side effects. I take 20mg/week, so it's a relatively high dose. I will be

starting on Humira soon, I hope. I'm tired of not being able to walk like I

used to and tired of aching. My rheumatologist spent a significant amount of

time allaying my fears over the risks associated with taking Humira and other

biologics: basically the risks are not as great as you might think and they

certainly beat a loss of mobility.

On genetics: Not everyone with psoriatic arthritis has the genetic marker (HLA

B27). But those that do, like myself, tend to have a poorer prognosis and tend

to see more spinal involvement. HLA B27 is most strongly associated with

ankylosing spondylitis (this runs in my family), which in itself is associated

with psoriasis.

Debbie